Toy moving-picture machine.



A. S. FERGUSON.

TOY MOVING PICTURE MACHENE. APPLICATION FILED NOV. 1, 191's.

Patented July 25, 1916.

ATTORNEYS mm s. ranouson,

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OF SPRINGFIELD, MISSOURI, .ASSIGIIOB 0F ONE-HALF TO L. McHITIRE, OF SPRINGFIELD, MISSOURI.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed November 1, 1815. Serial No. 59,038.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, An'rnnn S. Fnncnson, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Springfield, in the county. of Greene and State of Missouri, have invented a new and Improved Toy Moving-Picture Machine, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to the class of mutoscopes or moving picture machines in which a series of films are disposed about a core mounted to rotate, constituting what is termed a picture wheel.

The present invention provides an imroved pad, an improved means of securing the pad to the core, and improved means for mounting the core in bearings in a mannail to be readily accessible for changing the P The invention provides also an improved manner of displaying the pictures through the medium of a mirror, and a novel flipr, or device for insuring the proper turning of the films in single succession adjacent to the mirror.

The invention will be particularly explained in the specific description following.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification in which similar reference characters indicate corresponding parts in all the views. p

Figure 1 is a longitudinal vertical section of a toy moving picture machine constructed in accordance with my invention; Fig.2 is a ctive view of the apparatus without the picture wheel and showing the bearings swung outward from the box or casing; Fig. 3 is a detail in longitudinal vertical section showing the form of the pad and manner of securing the same to the core of the wheel; Fig. 4 is a plan view showing a portion of the pad and core; Fig. 5 is an end view of the core; Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the crank handle for turning the picture wheel; and Fig. 7 is a fragmentary view in longitudinal vertical section illustrating a slight modification.

In constructing an embodiment of my invention in accordance with the illustrated example, a box 10 is provided preferably oblong and at the front of the box at the inside thereof, is a mirror 11, which may be secured by a frame 12. Above the mirror the front of'the box is extended upwardly as at 13 presenting a surface to receive a label and also forming a finger-hold. Adjacent to the mirror 11 the sides of the box are cut away forming a depression, the rear side 14 of which slopes toward the mirror.

Mounted to rotate in the box in a manner hereinafter explained, is a core 15 about which is a pad 16 including films 17. In Fig. 1 I have conventionally shown the pad 16, the details of the preferred form of which are clearly shown in Figs. 3 and 4.. The said pad 16 includes a base strip on which the films 17 are overlap or layed in step form. In addition to t e base strip an upper strip 16 is employed which is broad at the securing end of the pad and for the major portion is in the form of a narrow ribbon 16 The said ribbon is run through holes 18 formed in the successive films 17 near the inner ends thereof. The

' ends of the films the base strip of the pad 16,

and the top strip 16 with its ribbon strip 16", are pasted together. In order to secure the pad detachably to the core 15, key-hole slots 19 are formed in the pad at its securing end and these are adapted to receive headed pins 20 on the periphery of the core 15. The described arrangement resultsv in a pad of great strength and Wearing qualities, and permits of the ready detachment of the from the core for renewing the pad.

The core and pad constitute together the picture wheel. It is to be observed that the pad is connected only at one end to the core and is otherwise free from the core except it is wrapped about the same.

In order to provide for the convenient removal of the picture wheel, the core 15 thereof is formed with journals or trunnions 21 and I provide bearings 22 to receive said journalsr The bearings 22 are inthe form of alined holes formed in the side or cheeks 23 of a U-shaped plate 2 1 which is secured at its base to a movable member of the box. The plate 24 is sufiiciently resilient to permit of the cheeks 23 being sprung apart to receive the journals 21. In the preferred form of the invention the back wall 25 constitutes the movable member, the same having a suitable hinge-connection 25 at its lower end and being provided with side flanges 26 to enter Within the box and thereby serve to retain the back 25 snugly in position.

Patented July 25,1916.

Adjacent to one of the bearings 22, a V- shaped notch 27 may be formed in a slde 26 for the ready entrance and accommodation of a detachable crank handle 28. The end 29 of the crank handle 28 is adapted to be received in an axial recess 32 in thejournals 21, there being in each journal an intersect-' ing end slot 33 which receives a broadened portion or flanges 30 on the crank handle. In one side of the box is a hole 31 which registers with the bearings 22 and recess 32 when the back 25 is in the closed position.

In the form illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, the box 10 is of a character to be produced from paste-board or stiif paper. In this form of the invention I provide a flipper 34 consisting of a pin adapted to be inserted through a hole 35 in the top of the box 10 whereby to project vertically at the interior of the box above the picture wheel near the front of the latter. tween the core 15 of the picture wheel and the pin 34 is such that the films will be engaged by the pin in succession and held back so that the films will pas from the pin in single succession with a quick movement past the line of the mirror 11. In use, with the crank handle 28 in place, the broadened or flanged portion 30 will engage in the slot 33 to give a turning movement to the picture wheel, the crank handle being operated with the right hand of the user while with the left hand he grasps the box at the bottom and also may grasp the holding member 13 to steady the box on a table or when held in the hand. In this way the pictures will be properly reflected in the mirror 11 which is in range with the pictures passing the flipper 34, the depressed or notched portion of the box aflording a clear view of the pictures as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. l. A much better eflect is obtained with the use of a picture wheel of this general character when the pictures are viewed through a mirror and the present arrangement provides for an eifective use of the mirror in a compact and convenient structure. -By arranging the pad as described free except at one end, a large number of pictures may be employed without crowding them on the pad and a clear and full exposure ofeach film is insured. It is to be understood that'if'the" paste-board or of tin or other sheet metal.

The flipper 14 is in this construction, a vertical depending flange or strip on the top of the box rearward of the sloping top portion 14. In this figune, the other elements are shown conventionally, it being understood that the form of the box 10, with the ele- The distance be-- ment 13 above the mirror 11", as well as the core 15 and the films 17, may be constructed and arranged the same as in the first described construction.

Having thus described my invention I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. A toy picture machine including a box approximately rectangular and formed with a member at the upper end of the front rising above the top of the box, a rearwardly facing mirror on the front below the said member, there being a depression in the top of the box adjacent to the mirror, and a picture wheel mounted to turn in the box and carrying picture films, the top of the wheel being directly in the range of the mirror, and the films at the top of the wheel turning in said range and toward the mirror.

2. A toy picture machine including a box, a rearwardly facing mirror mounted on the front of the box and extending below the top of the box, there being a depression in the top of the box adjacent to the mirror, and a picture wheel mounted to turn in the box and having films turning at the top of the wheel in range with the mirror.

3. A toy picture machine including a box, a rearwardly facing mirror mounted on the front of the box and extending below the top of the box, there being a depression in the top of the box adjacent to the mirror, and a picture wheel mounted to turn in the box and having films turning at the top of the wheel in range with the mirror, there being a depending flipper at the top of the box in the path of movement of the films.

4. A toy picture machine comprising a box, a picture wheel mounted to turn in the rear end of the box and having a; series of films, a flipper depending from the top of the box into the path of movement of the films and adjacent to the front of the wheel, and a rearwardly facing mirror on the front of the box and directly in range with the films.

5. In a toy picture machine, a picture wheel comprising a core and a film pad, said pad including a strip and a series of films disposed in stepped form on the strip and secured at their inner ends to the latter, the

'said strip being connected at one end to the core and otherwise free from the latter.

6. In a toy picture machine of the character described, a picture wheel including a core and a picture pad having a series of films thereon, said pad being detachably secured at one end to the core and otherwise free from thelatter.

7 In a. toy picture machine, a film pad including a base strip, a series of films dis posed in stepped form on the pad and secured at one end to the latter, and a second stripsecured at one end to one end of the pad and threaded through the several films adjacent to the bases of the latter, the contacting portions of the base strip, films, and the second strip being secured to one another.

8. In a toy picture machine, a box having a wall thereof movable to swing to an inner or outer position, a picture wheel, and bearings on the said movable member for the revoluble mounting of the said picture wheel.

9. A toy picture machine including a box, having a member thereof movable to swing to an outer or inner position, said member having bearings in the sides thereof, a picture wheel detachably supported in said bearings to swing with said movable member into and out of the box, and a crank handle adapted to detachably engage the said picture wheel, the box having an opening in the side thereof registering with the axis of the picture wheel and permitting the entrance and removal of the said handle.

10. A toy picture machine comprising a box, having a wall thereof hinged to the box, a U-shaped plate on the said hinged wall at the inner side, presenting side members formed with bearings, a picture wheel removably supported to turn in the said bearings whereby to swing with the said movable member, and a handle detachably engaging the said wheel, the said box having a hole in the side thereof for receiving the said handle. Intestimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ARTHUR S. FERGUSON. Witnesses:

W. A. SALTS, WV. GI Gronon. 

